Teams of workers sometimes make use of shared resources, usage of which needs to be restricted to a single user. An example is the IBM® System z Hardware Instrumentation tool, which records performance statistics for an entire Sysplex®, so that multiple users cannot simultaneously make use of the tool without corrupting each other's data. A second example is a pool of physical servers from which a team member may need to reserve one for exclusive use. A third example may be a publication, such as a book or magazine, which may only be on one person's desk at a time. The common feature of all these resources is that it is difficult to physically restrict access to the resource while it is in use. If the team of workers is physically distributed over a wide area, it is also difficult to determine whether the resource is in use, or if it is in use, who currently “owns” it.
An embodiment of this invention describes a means of using a collaborative working tool such as instant-messaging to manage a set of “virtual locks” such that a team of workers can reserve, release, and track usage of single-user resources.
Many types of software resources employ lock mechanisms and protocols to control the degree of concurrent usage. This is intended as a lightweight solution to those resources for which such lock mechanisms are not already implemented, however, it could be possible to provide plug-in points to interface with the “hard” locking capabilities of those resources which support them. The tool itself may not physically prevent concurrent access to resources, but serves as an aid to managing their shared usage.